American Indians introduced tobacco to the rest of the world centuries ago, and the nicotine-laden herb remains an important part of their culture and religious ceremonies. It’s also key to the commercial success of Grand River Enterprises, a company dominated by two Mohawk men on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Ontario, Canada. GRE manufactures Seneca and other brands of cigarettes at a sprawling plant on the reserve in Ohsweken. They’re sold at smoke shops there and through distributors who market them across Canada, the U.S., Central America, and even Germany, where that nation’s armed forces have bought them for their personnel. There’s only one problem with this highly visible example of indigenous…
